Nun stuff proceeding apace

Checking in with some of the girls, we find:

The Domincan Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist being profiled by the CBC, and sounding just glorious in chant, as their order grows and grows. (Click where indicated to view the video). This very young order (both in existence and median age) recently welcomed 15 more postulants and clothed 14 or so novices.

The Desert Nuns - Poor Clares of Perpetual Adoration who are building an Arizona foundational offshoot from Mother Angelica’s digs, report that their first postulant is preparing to be clothed in the habit and received into the novitiate, and they’re showing the first renderings of what they hope will be their monastery, someday.

The Poor Clare’s Motherhouse, meanwhile, is standing room only, with pictures of their newbies and finally professed.

Carmelites clothed: If you click the recent events sidebar at “Investiture Ceremony”, you can see two novices get geared up. These Carmelites spend most of their novitiate in their shudder-inducing postulant togs until just a few months before first vows. They look very happy to move from blue to brown.

Some orders have better-looking habits than others, but the ones that have habits and a clear message of commitment and witness are the ones that seem to be growing.

The Nashville Dominicans of St. Cecelia welcomed another sizable crew of postulants and clothed 12 new novices. The sisters median age: 36. Do check out their lovely, recently improved upon Motherhouse.

The Benedictines of St. Walburga’s Abbey in cold, cold Colorado are boasting two new postulants, two novices and four in first vows - not bad for a life of silence, renunciation and enclosure in the 21st century. Not bad at all. This house in Vermont is also growing, as is this one in Connecticut.

“Contemplatives want to do the work of active orders, the active orders of lay people,” said Abbot Bernard.

“Perhaps the lay people will turn to contemplation,” said Abbess Catherine.

“Then they will need the very grilles your progressives are seeking to take down; renew the solitude and silence, the prayer we are letting decay with all this busyness. They should read the Rule - and the Council documents that tell us to go back to our sources - but it seems they cannot read anymore, not with their minds.”

“Yes. They have forgotten the meaning of things,” said Dame Agnes.
- In This House of Brede by Rumer Godden, published 1969.

Everything goes around, like a wheel, back and forth, like a pendulum. Every movement inspires a correcting movement. That’s how things stay balanced.

by TheAnchoress @ 3:13 pm. Filed under Catholic Vocations, Catholicism, Faith, Prayer

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7 Responses to “Nun stuff proceeding apace”

Sigmund Carl and Alfred Says:
March 26th, 2007 at 3:35 pm
Congratulations.

I now find reading about Nuns, interesting.

The vicar will be so pleased.
Perkunas Says:
March 26th, 2007 at 4:33 pm
Not to oversimply the issue, but I think that spirituality created the church and that if the church declines that spirituality will remain and that it will create a new church, but perhaps that is too idealistic. The existing church is a great vehicle for spirituality but it is not the only vehicle for spirituality. They say that in an age of great darkness that there is also great light as well, kind of a compensation thing, so I think that the spirit is here to stay, whatever changes take place in society at large.
Viola Says:
March 27th, 2007 at 8:19 am
I am moved to see such young women dedicating their lives to God in this form. It is moving to see anyone be really serious about spiritual matters. Their prayers and dedication bring spiritual energy into our society. We need lots and lots more of them. Thanks for sharing this!
JohnG Says:
March 27th, 2007 at 8:20 am
Curious, the architectural renderings of the proposed cathedral of the Poor Clares in Arizona did not contain one crucifix, one cross even, upon the building. Neither a crucifix nor a statue is evident in the garden either.

Knowing the Poor Clares of Birmingham, I trust these are merely oversights by the architects.
Greg Finnegan Says:
March 27th, 2007 at 11:55 am
“…but the [orders] that have habits and a clear message of commitment and witness are the ones that seem to be growing.”

I was just thinking last week that the orders of nuns who discarded the habits for “civilian clothes” (as we said in the Navy) ruined their image, and probably their recruitment. Perhaps they should consider wearing the habits during Mass, while teaching, at parish events, etc. Save the “civies” for shopping, traveling, library trips, being a student, etc.
AngloCathJoi Says:
March 27th, 2007 at 12:43 pm
Yay for nuns!!!

I just finished In This House of Brede, and loved it! It was really insightful.

Please pray for me as I pursue a vocation to holy orders: trying to find a conservative orthodox Anglican order is a little tricky….Sigh.
L Says:
March 27th, 2007 at 3:35 pm
I actually know one of these women! How strange to come across her on a blog. She’s lovely.